# US 10,766,311 B2 · Pneumatic tire > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,311 B2 - Document ID: US10766311B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/920,732 - Filed: 2018-03-14 - Published: 2018-09-20 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-15 - Assignees: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. - Applicants: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. - Inventors: Hiroki Uno - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766311B2 ## CPC - B60C 11/1236: {with special arrangements in the tread pattern} - B60C 11/0304: {Asymmetric patterns} - B60C 11/0306: {Patterns comprising block rows or discontinuous ribs} - B60C 11/0332: {by the footprint-ground contacting area of the tyre tread} - B60C 11/04: in which the raised area of the pattern consists only of continuous circumferential ribs, e.g. zig-zag (B60C11/12, B60C11/13 take precedence) - B60C 11/1259: {Depth of the sipe} - B60C 11/1263: {different within the same sipe} - B60C 2011/0365: {characterised by width} - B60C 2011/0381: {Blind or isolated grooves} - B60C 2011/039: {provided at the shoulder portion} - B60C 2011/1209: {straight at the tread surface} - B60C 2011/1254: {with closed sipe, i.e. not extending to a groove} - B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES ## Abstract A pneumatic tire includes a tread portion including an inboard shoulder land portion defined between an inboard tread edge and an inboard shoulder main groove. The inboard shoulder land portion is provided with inboard semi-open shoulder lateral grooves and inboard shoulder sipes extending axially inwardly from the inboard tread edge and terminate within the inboard shoulder land portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pneumatic tire comprising: a tread portion having an outboard tread edge to be positioned away from the center of a vehicle body and an inboard tread edge to be positioned close to the center of the vehicle body, wherein a maximum ground-contacting length in a tire circumferential direction of the tread portion under a normally inflated loaded condition of the tire is not more than 70% of a maximum ground-contacting width in the tire axial direction of the tread portion under the normally inflated loaded condition of the tire, wherein the tread portion is provided with main grooves extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction, and includes an inboard shoulder main groove which is disposed on the most inboard tread edge side, an outboard shoulder main groove which is disposed on the most outboard tread edge side, and an inboard middle main groove and an outboard middle main groove which are disposed between the inboard and outboard shoulder main grooves, respectively, wherein the inboard shoulder main groove is larger in a groove width than the outboard shoulder main groove, wherein an inboard shoulder land portion, defined between the inboard tread edge and the inboard shoulder main groove, is provided with inboard shoulder lateral grooves, which are arranged in the tire circumferential direction. and an outboard shoulder land portion defined between the outboard tread edge and the outboard shoulder main groove, the outboard shoulder land portion is provided with outboard shoulder lateral grooves which are arranged in the tire circumferential direction, wherein each of the inboard shoulder lateral grooves is an independent groove extending from the inboard tread edge toward the inboard shoulder main groove but terminating without reaching the inboard shoulder main groove so as to have an axially inner end within the inboard shoulder land portion, whereas each of the outboard shoulder lateral grooves extends across the entire width of the outboard shoulder land portion so as to connect to the outboard shoulder main groove, the inboard shoulder lateral grooves are arranged in the tire circumferential direction at a pitch of not less than 20% of said maximum ground-contacting length, and wherein sipes each having a groove width of not more than 1 mm are disposed in the inboard shoulder land portion. whereas a sipe having a groove width of not more than 1 mm is not disposed in the outboard shoulder land portion, the sipes disposed in the inboard shoulder land portion are inboard shoulder sipes, which extend axially inwardly from the inboard tread edge and terminate without reaching the inboard shoulder main groove so as to have axially inner ends within the inboard shoulder land portion, and the inboard shoulder sipes are disposed between the independent inboard shoulder lateral grooves. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein each of the inboard shoulder sipes is an independent sipe, and at least two of the inboard shoulder sipes are disposed between every two of the circumferentially adjacent inboard shoulder lateral grooves. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein axial lengths of the inboard shoulder sipes are not less than 10 mm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the axial distance between the inboard shoulder main groove and the axially inner ends of the inboard shoulder lateral grooves is not less than 10 mm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to-claim 1, wherein the depth of the inboard shoulder sipes is in a range from 50% to 100% of the depth of the inboard shoulder lateral grooves. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of each of the inboard shoulder sipes comprises a slope part which extends from the axially inner end of the inboard shoulder sipe at the ground contacting top surface of the inboard shoulder land portion to the deepest position of the inboard shoulder sipe, and the slope part is inclined at an angle of not less than 30 degrees with respect to a normal line drawn normally to the ground contacting top surface of the inboard shoulder land portion at the axially inner end of the inboard shoulder sipe in a cross section along the longitudinal direction of the inboard shoulder sipe. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein groove widths of the inboard shoulder lateral grooves are gradually increased toward the axially outside from the respective axial inner ends. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the axial distance between the inboard shoulder main groove and the axial inner ends of the inboard shoulder sipes is in a range from 80% to 125% of the axial distance between the inboard shoulder main groove and the axial inner ends of the inboard shoulder lateral grooves. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein an inboard middle land portion defined between the inboard shoulder main groove and the inboard middle main groove which is next to the inboard shoulder main groove, is provided with inboard open-ended middle lateral grooves extending from the inboard shoulder main groove to the inboard middle main groove, and inboard semi-open middle lateral grooves extending from the inboard shoulder main groove toward the inboard middle main groove but terminating without reaching the inboard middle main groove, and the inboard semi-open middle lateral grooves are closer to the inboard semi open shoulder lateral grooves than the inboard open-ended middle lateral grooves. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The pneumatic tire according to claim 1, wherein the groove width of the inboard shoulder main groove is in a range from 3% to 7% of a tread width between the outboard tread edge and the inboard tread edge. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The pneumatic tire according to claim 2, wherein axial lengths of the inboard shoulder sipes are not less than 10 mm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The pneumatic tire according to claim 2, wherein the axial distance between the inboard shoulder main groove and the axially inner ends of the inboard semi pen shoulder lateral grooves is not less than 10 mm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The pneumatic tire according to claim 3, wherein the axial distance between the inboard shoulder main groove and the axially inner ends of the inboard shoulder lateral grooves is not less than 10 mm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The pneumatic tire according to claim 9, wherein the inboard semi-open middle lateral grooves and the inboard open-ended middle lateral grooves are alternately arranged in the tire circumferential direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The pneumatic tire according to claim 14, wherein an outboard middle land portion defined between the outboard shoulder main groove and the outboard middle main groove is provided with outboard middle lateral grooves, and the outboard middle lateral grooves are: outboard semi-open middle lateral grooves each extending from the outboard shoulder main groove toward the outboard middle main groove but terminating without reaching the outboard middle main groove, and outboard open-ended middle lateral grooves each extending from the outboard shoulder main groove to the outboard middle main groove. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The pneumatic tire according to claim 15, wherein the outboard open-ended middle lateral grooves and the outboard semi-open middle lateral grooves are arranged alternately in the tire circumferential direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The pneumatic tire according to claim 16, wherein the outboard open-ended middle lateral grooves and the outboard semi-open middle lateral grooves are inclined to one direction with respect to the tire axial direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The pneumatic tire according to claim 17, wherein the outboard open-ended middle lateral grooves are aligned with the respective outboard shoulder lateral grooves. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The pneumatic tire according to claim 17, wherein the inboard open-ended middle lateral grooves and the inboard semi-open middle lateral grooves are inclined with respect to the tire axial direction to the same direction as the outboard open-ended middle lateral grooves and the outboard semi-open middle lateral grooves. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The pneumatic tire according to claim 15, wherein the main grooves include a crown main groove disposed on the tire equator, and an outboard crown and portion defined between the outboard middle main groove and the crown main groove, and an inboard crown land portion defined between the inboard middle main groove and the crown main groove are each formed as a circumferentially continuous rib.